


The Five Stages of Grief

by Yacer_Sho



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Corrupted Gems, Cracked Gems, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Jasper Redemption (Steven Universe), Mutual Pining, Pre-Steven Universe Future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-09-29 00:03:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20434706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yacer_Sho/pseuds/Yacer_Sho
Summary: Jasper, a Homeworld Gem, had been given to you by the Crystal Gems in hopes that you change her views on Earth and become a rebel like Lapis and Peridot. Unlike the others, she holds a grudge on basically everyone for reasons she never wants to explain. It's been a month since her Gem became cracked, and reflecting back on all the memories you and her shared made you fall into a state of depression. She never cared for anyone, but you cared for her, even if she was too stubborn to know.





	1. Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was originally posted in 2017 on another website called Quotev, and I need to fix a few things and make it longer. For now, please enjoy this version until I get around to editing it.

It had been a month since something horrible happened to Jasper. You hold the Gem of Jasper in your hands, then ever so carefully stroked the smooth rock. Tears formed in your e/c eyes knowing she may or may not reform normally due to her Gem getting cracked while protecting you from a corrupted Gem. Steven had healed her orange Gem using his healing powers, but it's been so long and she still hasn't reformed. Turning on your side with tears forming in your eyes, you reflect on the five days that were the best (and worst) days of your life. The tears fell faster now, and even though you tried to keep the Gem warm, there was still a cold feel lingering to it that made you contemplate whether or not Jasper will reform. All you could do was wait and blame yourself for what happened. "Jasper... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." That was when the memories flooded back.

* * *

Jasper slammed her large fists against a nearby wall of your home. You were surprised that the house could withstand yet another one of her temper tantrums, but alas, the structure only made a noise that somewhat hurt your ears. The giant woman, in anger, turned to you again and looked down at your miserable self. She knew she was larger and stronger, so she used it to her advantage. "Why do I have to listen to a pathetic human like you? Do you think I want to be stuck here? I had a mission on Homeworld to complete and you Crystal Gems always take things away from me!" Jasper continued to vociferate, whereas you decided to sit on your couch and listened to the poor Gem complain about Earth with your arms crossed. "Everything is either too hot or too cold! Humans always have to be so arrogant and demanding! They order me around, but I won't take it anymore." The dangerous woman took a step towards you, her amber eyes almost fuming in rage.  
  
"I am _not _going to be ordered around by a puny human like you." Your e/c eyes widened in fear, but you stood and tried to meet her eyes. She had to hunch in order to meet your eyes as well. "I wasn't ordering you to do anything! I only wanted you to calm down. Look, in my home, you are welcome to do whatever you please. But if you do anything to destroy Beach City or hurt humans, the Crystal Gems can and will shatter you." She grabbed your s/c wrists and pinned you against the couch by forcing you to sit down. "Is that a threat?" You smile and nod, some rain starting to pelt against your roof. Thunder added itself, so now it seemed like you were a water entity like Lapis.

This terrified Jasper beyond compare as memories of being trapped underwater with Lapis, a memory like a sieve. She started freaking out and ultimately let go of you in the process. "It can be a threat, my tigress, but just know that I will not let it happen. You can intimidate me all you want by calling me Human, threaten to destroy the city and the humans, and hurt me. Don't do the things you say because you'll end up regretting everything." Another clap of thunder and lightning sounded through the house, and now the large woman, at first terrifying, had let go of you and backed away. Her amber eyes were widened in terror as she started hiding herself in a corner with her eyes covered by her large hands.  
  
She nods at your words and you understand now that she's too scared to argue anymore. Kneeling to her side, you risk putting your hand on her broad shoulder. Jasper flinches, but she doesn't force you to stop touching her. Her PTSD has gotten worse and worse due to Lapis Lazuli. The ocean gem was forced to fuse with Jasper to form Malachite, only to spend months under the ocean before being separated by the Crystal Gems. For a while Jasper had been the enemy, but you knew she was slowly warming up to Earth, even if the Gem didn't realize it. The only thing stopping her was her overflowing emotions of courage, anger, and determination.

Going back to normal, Jasper pushes you away and gets up. She watches the window in case something else happens. It was almost as if she never even had a mental breakdown just a few seconds ago. "What is this substance hitting against your window? And that... that noise?" Getting to your feet as well, you walk to the window that had been drenched in the rain water. "It's rain. And that's thunder and lighting." Jasper narrows her yellow eyes and stands beside you. "Can I... Can I go outside?"  
  
"Go on ahead. There's no need to ask for my permission." You flash her a small smile and prompt her to go outside by opening the front door for her. Your porch was covered in rain water for the wind sent the rain drops towards it and was now a darker color due to the water. It was a bit surprising how a few minutes ago the two of you were arguing, then the rain started and Jasper freaked out, and now she was curious. Gems are a very strange race and their personalities are even weirder. She stood in the doorway and gulped, then hunched over in order to not hit her head on the doorframe. She steps outside and breaths in that wet smell while moving her beige hair out of her face due to the wind. "It doesn't hurt me." she concluded, and a smirk came to lips. "Haha, you hear that? I'm invincible!" She uses her right hand to point to the sky and her eyebrows were furled.

Her perfect teeth were clenched as she made fun of the cloudy sky. You step out and shiver as rain fell on you. Coming to her side, you explain, "It's only water, so of course it wouldn't hurt you. But the thunder and lightning can electrocute you, so be careful." Jasper turned to you, then looked up at the sky to see another lightning strike hit something off in the distance. The whole sky lit up as the lightning hit, followed by the thunder. You watched her stare up at the cloudy sky, her face reading no expression. Does she ever long to go home? What goes through that head of hers? Jasper was like a goddess to you, but due to you not meeting her standards, she didn't see you as anything else but a puny and pathetic creature. "This weather bores me. I'm going back inside." She pushes past you and goes into the house. What she didn't realize was that rain water was dripping off her light reflected body structure and got your floors wet.  
  
"Jasper, the floor." you scold, but she paid no mind. She didn't acknowledge your existence either and she started walking towards the hallway. "Jasper! Get yourself a towel!" Pulling on her long beige colored hair, you stop her in her tracks. In almost lighting speed, you were brought to the ground with her hovering over you. Water dripped off her muscular body and fell onto yours, and surprisingly, there was no warmth from the water. It was just as it was when it fell from the sky. Gems are a lot different from humans, but you hadn't expected them to have no body heat. She speaks up. "Just what do you think I was doing human? I could hear you, I'm not deaf!" Gulping, you look into her yellow eyes and feeling your heartbeat quickening. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't realize..." Squeezing your eyes shut, you try to push her away but she was too strong.

"Please don't hurt me!" Sighing, she gets of you and rests herself on her knees, so you open your eyes. "I won't hurt you, runt. A human wouldn't know what a Gem thinks. Much less a Homeworld Gem taken from her planet and forced to be here. Y/n," she stops herself and flinches. Jasper used your name by accident. She told you once that on Homeworld, calling someone by their real name was considered the highest level of friendship, much less respect. That was why Jasper called you Human since she didn't know you that well. But instead of calling you Human again, she nods and looks into your e/c eyes that kept their doe expression.

"Y/n, I can't say that I like you. In fact, I would like to be anywhere else than with a human forced to redeem me. But I will try to get along with you. I have a lot to learn, but we have to cover some ground rules." You hug your knees and nod. "I'm listening, Jasper." "Rule one, you may address me as Jasper. But no nicknames. I don't like being called Tigress. However, I will call you Human or Y/n if you're lucky. Secondly, I will listen to what you tell me, but just know that if it's for your selfish reasons, I will not listen. That goes the same for you if I order you to do something."  
  
You nod and look at your floor as you listen to the last rule. "And lastly, I want to get something straight. You and I are not... what do you call it on Earth? Um..." "Friends?" you risk by interrupting. She nods, her beige hair falling onto her broad shoulders. "Yes. We are just living together. We each have our own little world and I'd like to keep it that way. You have your world, and I have mine. Do we have a deal?" She holds out her light orange hand to offer it to you. Sighing, you grasp it and shake it. Jasper stands to her feet and goes to the bathroom to get herself a much needed towel, whereas you were still on the floor and looked at your feet.

Surprisingly, tears started to form in your eyes knowing that Jasper would never be your friend. You knew a human and a Gem wouldn't be able to have a friendship, much less fall in love. But something deep down in your heart wished it wouldn't be true. Standing to your feet, you decide that it was time for you to head to bed. As you passed the bathroom, light was seen coming through the space in under the door, so it was concluded Jasper was either taking a shower was mainly drying herself off. Knocking twice, you press yourself against the doorway and sigh longingly. "Good night, Jasper." You heard shuffling from inside the bathroom, then out of nowhere the door opened and you fell into Jasper's dry chest. She pushes you off by grabbing your shoulders and nods while turning off the bathroom light. "Yes, goodnight Human."  
  
She heads to the couch where she stays and lays on it, though the couch starts to creak right as she sat. Thunder and lightning came out of nowhere again, but it didn't phase Jasper. Instead of watching her, you go to your bedroom and get into your pajamas, then crawled into your bed for much needed sleep. A picture given to you by Steven has Jasper and you in it. The picture was taken without your knowing by none other than Steven, which was why the angle was so low to the ground. You and Jasper were staring into each other's eyes the first time you met, but Jasper had been sneering whereas you were looking at her in awe. This was a picture you cherished now. Someday after she becomes redeemed, she may have to leave you in order to fight with the Crystal Gems. Closing your eyes, you hear the rain against your roof and let slumber take over you.


	2. Anger

Your e/c eyes open to see sunlight reflecting through your window to make the room light up. Birds chirped in the early morning, yet you were still tired and plopped back into the blankets to curl up and rest. Your bedroom door was opened by Jasper out of nowhere, scaring you terribly. She yawned and made herself comfortable on your Queen sized bed. "Oh, Jasper, did you try to sleep last night instead of just walking around my house?" Ignoring you, she takes the pillow beside you and puts it under her head. Due to her size, Jasper took up most of the bed, even if she was in the fetal position. You were now stuck on the side of the bed, if not falling off of it too.

Deciding to let her have the bed, you roll off the side and hit the floor with a grunt. Getting to your feet and brushing yourself off, you take another look at Jasper. Her eyes were open and saw the whole ordeal happen. With a slight blush, you chuckle on sit on the side of the bed. "Mornin', Jasper. Did you try sleeping last night?" She scoffed and used her hand to move some hair out of her eyes. The red marks on her arm moved as she did so. "Yes, and I surprisingly had a dream." Growing interested, you lie down again and stare her in the eyes. "Oh, tell me! Was it about Homeworld?" Looking over your shoulder, Jasper reaches for the picture on your nightstand. Her chest was in your face and you blushed a bit. Grabbing the picture, she rests her head on one hand and the other holds the picture that Steven gave you and inspects it with her head tilted.  
  
"This picture. It's of us?" she asks you, and instinctively you hold your hand out to get it back. "Well, Steven took a picture of us the first time we met and while I was visiting he gave it to me as a present. I hope you don't mind a human looking up to you, Jasper. Figuratively and literally, haha!" Putting it back on the nightstand next to you, she yawns and blinks while looking out the window. "Do we have to do anything today? Errands, yard work, etc.?" Jasper asks with a disgusted look. Sitting up, then stretching, you get off the bed. "I don't think so. But we can go to the Crystal Gems to chat after breakfast." Narrowing her eyes, she rolls onto her side and groans. "I'll pass."

With a slight smile, you walk to your bedroom door and open it. "Get up whenever you want." She groaned yet again as a reply, and that was when you chuckled and started walking down the hall towards the kitchen to have breakfast. You get out a skillet and placed it on the stove and turned on the stove, then cut a piece of butter and let it melt on the skillet. While it was melting, you got out four pieces of bacon. Two for you and two for Jasper. Placing them down, you breath in the sweet smell as the bacon popped because of grease. While the bacon popped, you got out some eggs and set them aside while the bacon continued cooking.  
  
A door was heard opening and closing, and heavy footsteps made their way down your hall. Jasper ran her hand through her hair and sniffed the air while sitting at the dining table. "That smells good..." "Thanks! And good morning, Jasper! Breakfast is almost ready. I hope you don't mind but can you get the milk and pour them into glasses while I do this?" Standing to her feet, she smirks and heads to the fridge. "Can I? Honestly, you doubt me sometimes." She grabs the carton that says milk, then with no help at all, reaches the highest cupboard and grabs two glass cups with ease. You crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them until they're yellow, then put them into the cleaned skillet.

The bacon was already on a plate. Getting some salt and pepper, you sprinkle some into the eggs as it cooks. You use a spatula to push the eggs around in order for it not to stick to the pan. Looking to your side, Jasper was trying her best to pour the milk evenly. Her amber eyes were locked on the cup as she poured. Smiling, you continue moving the eggs around and sighed. "Hey, um, Jasper?" She looks up while putting the cap back on. "Yeah? What?" Putting the eggs on the two separate plates, you then pick up the plates and walk to the table. "I'm sorry about yesterday night. I should've realized that ordering you around like a servant wasn't kind of me. I'm sorry about that." You put her plate of food across from you and set down yours as well. Jasper nods and sets the milk beside the plates.  
  
She sighs and sits in the chair while looking down at her steaming food you made for her. "I'm sorry too. I overreacted about that. I won't-" Sitting too, you interject. "I ordered you around while all I did was sit on my butt! I made you clean and do laundry all day and all I did was sit there on my computer." She raises her hands into the air to calm you down. "Hey, don't worry about it. At least that gave me something to do." Nodding, you use a butter knife and fork to cut a piece of scrambled eggs and put it into your mouth. Jasper picked up the fork and knife and inspected them curiously. "Oh, right, I forgot! Gems don't need to eat..." "You already made it so I might as well eat it."

She shrugs, then picks up a piece of bacon. "Be careful, it might be hot-" Mid-sentence, she puts the steaming hot piece of bacon into her mouth and chews. "Not bad. Actually, it's great." You could swear you saw a slight smile forming on her lips as she took the other piece of bacon and put it into her mouth, then picked up the glass of milk and started to drink it. "Well, I'm glad you like your breakfast." You chuckle out while eating your piece of bacon only one bite at a time. Jasper wolfs down her food before you and lets out a hearty burp without excusing herself. She lets you eat the rest of your food before heading to the Crystal Gems place, but her amber notice that you have one piece of bacon left. The Gem took a liking to the bacon more than the eggs and milk, so she looks around to make it seem like she didn't want the bacon.  
  
"Hey, Y/n." she says, prompting you to look up. "You can call me Tigress if you want to~" She stared into your e/c eyes with her amber ones, then sneakily used her arm to grab the piece of bacon. "Really? That's wonderful! Uh, wait, Jasper..." "What?" You blushed and looked down, then noticed the bacon in her hand. "Hey! You already had your two pieces!" Jasper puts the bacon into her mouth and chews, then swallows.

"Too late. Now, what were you going to say?" Huffing, you stand to your feet and take yours and her dishes. "Well, before you rudely decided to take my bacon, which I don't really mind about but I wanted to eat it, I was going to say that you accidentally called me by my name and not Human, my Tigress~" You smirked, then flicked her forehead with a chuckle. It didn't make her mad. Instead, she let you head to the sink to wash dishes while she reflected on how and why she called you by your name. After doing the dishes, you grab an umbrella in case it rained again. Even if the sun was out. You and Jasper went out the front door, and Jasper waited for you to lock the door to get to the Crystal Gems. Beach City was lively as usual with people playing on the beach or people working at the pier. After about ten or more minutes of walking, their house came into view and Jasper narrowed her eyes and grumbled something under her breath.  
  
Steven was the one to open the front door, and when he saw you, his eyes turned to stars and he ran into your arms. "Y/n, Jasper! You two came early!" Setting him onto the sand, you chuckle and chat with him while Jasper trails behind you. Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst were all on the couch waiting for Jasper to come in. "Y/n, Jasper, why don't the two of you have a seat on the folding chairs?" Pearl suggested. You sit on one and Jasper on the other.

Garnet hands Pearl a clipboard with a list of twenty questions, ten for Jasper and ten for you. It was basically a survey on how you and Jasper were getting along. "Alright, question one for Jasper. How has living with Y/n been going?" She crosses her arms and avoided eye contact. "Good." "Just... good?" Jasper nods so Pearl writes the word. "Y/n, question one for you. How has living with Jasper been going?" "Well, we've had less fights than usual, but I feel like we're warming up to each other." Your long, detailed pleased the mother-like Gem and wrote down the answer. "That's what I expect. Detailed answers and not just a single word."  
  
Pearl hands the clipboard to Amethyst to continue. "Question two for Jasper. Have you hurt Y/n in the past twenty four hours? Pearl, what kind of question is this?" Garnet looks to the small purple Gem. "We'd never know if Jasper is still dangerous-" "I have. We got in a fight yesterday and I pinned her to the ground and... I saw some bruising on her hand." You move your sleeve and reveal the forming bruise which was now getting larger. "I guess question three is answered." Amethyst sighs, writing a checkmark on YES. Steven takes the clipboard now. "Have you two started chatting?" You nod, and soon enough the rest of the questions were answered in less than fifteen minutes.

Pearl looked over the questions again and smiled. "We'll make these findings put to good use. Soon enough, Jasper will be friendly enough to hopefully fight beside us." A chorus of screaming started outside, and Jasper jumped from her seat and threw open the door to see what the matter was. Everyone followed, and they saw a huge, almost thirty foot high corrupted Gem by the name of [Petrified Wood](http://pre00.deviantart.net/cbed/th/pre/f/2016/223/e/f/corrupt_adopts_by_theredjoker351-dadg37c.png) attacked the citizens. "Jasper, can you help us with this?" Garnet asks, summoning her gauntlets while Steven, Amethyst, and Pearl got out their own significant weapons and started to fight. Jasper summoned her crash helmet and nods, then started to join Garnet. Before she could, you tug on her beige hair with tears forming in your eyes. "Y/n, let go!" "I want to help too!" Garnet budded in. "Y/n, you're a human. If you try to help us, you'll attempt to save either one of us and sacrifice your own life for one of ours." "Your future vision..."  
  
The two ran towards the corrupted Gem and Jasper looked over her shoulder to see you slump onto the sand and start bawling. Jasper, caring for you, sneers and yells at the corrupted Gem. "You pathetic creature! Attacking innocent humans when the real threat is us! And what's worse, is that you made Y/n cry! She's strong, but not strong enough!" Petrified Wood screeched at Jasper and used one of its arms to attack, but Steven used his bubble to protect her. "Rose..." she whispers, and Steven threw a shield at the corruption. "Focus, Jasper!" She nods and spins herself, then runs spins around the monster. Meanwhile, you watch the Gems save the city with tears in your eyes, feeling useless.

"I want... I need to help. But... Garnet's future vision... Maybe I can change the future." You run inside and try to find something to use against the Petrified Wood. Finding nothing, you curse under your breath and step outside again. Wind blew your hair around as you watched the Gems try to stop it, but Petrified Wood is strong. Steven was seen falling off the Gem while screaming, so you act and run towards the falling boy. "Y/n, no, stop! I can float!" You stop in your tracks, not because Steven floated to your side, but because the corrupted Gem was starting to attack by stepping on the two of you. "Steven! Y/n!" Pearl screamed, and Jasper turned her head at the worst moment.  
  
In an almost slow motion fashion, her amber eyes well with tears as she watches you push Steven out of the way before Petrified Wood uses its buried arms to step onto him and fall beside him with a terrified look. Jasper breaths a sigh of relief knowing you were alright, and she could see Steven telling you to leave before you got hurt. You looked down and nod, so Steven smiles and you run back to the house to watch. Jasper gives it her all, but she doesn't know how much longer this fight will take. One thing is for certain. She won't let a single thing happen to you. And for once in her life, she's grateful knowing that others are fighting alongside her. It makes her feel less weak than she already is on Earth.


	3. Bargaining

Placing the delicate orange Gem onto a fluffy blanket, you wipe the tears from your eyes and shake your head. "Why couldn't it have been me? Jasper didn't deserve to be hurt the way she was... I can't believe a Homeworld Gem sacrificed her life for a pathetic human like me." Lying down beside her, you stroke the Gem using your thumb. "Oh, Jasper, I don't know if you can hear me but I remember that day like it was yesterday. I'm so grateful for what you did for the Crystal Gems and I. Let's just hope... you reform soon. It's been a month now..." A soft knock was heard on the door, so you sit up and sigh solemnly. "Coming..." As you made your way to the door, you open it and Garnet was on the other side. Her glasses reflected your expression, and you looked like a mess. You try to fix your hair as you tried to act happy.

"Garnet, how are you?" "I'm fine, but I can tell that you're not." You nod and walk inside your house again to show Garnet that Jasper is still in her gem. "She'll wake up soon." Sighing, you slump onto the couch and rest your head on your hand. Garnet sits next to you and places a hand on your back to reassure you. "How do you know? Your future vision? It wasn't exactly right when I almost died protecting one of you. How did you not notice the vision of Jasper's gem getting cracked?" Looking down, Garnet takes off her glasses, revealing her three eyes. One red for Ruby, one blue for Sapphire, and one purple in the middle. "I saw so many ways that you could have been hurt that I completely glossed over the possibility of Jasper being injured. I cared more about your life than hers because I knew she was a good fighter. I'm sorry, Y/n..." Smiling, you hug Garnet as she wraps her arms around you too. "Thanks, Garnet... I'm glad you look out for me." Putting her glasses back on, she smiles. "Anytime."

* * *

Another strike, another failure to defeat the corruption of Petrified Wood. Jasper and the others continued fighting, but Jasper was still enraged knowing that you could've been hurt. Or worse, killed. Meanwhile, you've been holed up in their house and watched the fighting. You saw your friends be thrown to the sand below or hurt, so you panicked and came back outside. "Aim for its gem, Pearl! It's on its arm!" Garnet exclaimed, and the woman nods. The monster noticed you standing alone and felt anger boiling inside of it, wanting to fight you too. It made an ear deafening screech and charged towards you right as Pearl tried to stab the gem. "Oh no! What's Y/n doing back outside?" Amethyst exclaimed, wrapping the whip around the corrupted gem's neck. "She must want to help-" Steven started, but Jasper acted and jumped to protect you from the gem. Amethyst's whip didn't sustain it at all, so you screamed and shielded yourself from the oncoming attack. The gem met with something, a woman, as a grunt sounded and a large, muscular arm kept you behind her. You risked opening your eyes as the smoke dispersed, and Jasper was seen trying her best to hold the front leg and keep it from attacking you. "Y-Y/n, run! I'll hold it off!" The corruption got the upper hand and pushed Jasper back a few inches, but she retaliated while everyone continued to fight other parts of it.  
  
"I don't want to sit on the sidelines and watch you get hurt!" Sneering, she summons her crash helmet and uses it to smash the leg, resulting in a pained cry from the gem. It takes a few painful steps back, leaving you and Jasper to argue. "I'm a Gem, and you're a human. I'm not going to let you throw your life away just because you want to protect a useless Jasper like me. I was _made _to fight, Y/n!" Before you could reply, she struggles with her words and runs off to fight the corrupted gem again.

"Hey, Petrified Wood?!" she exclaims, getting its attention. "Jasper, what are you doing?" Garnet demands, using her gauntlets to punch one of the bag legs. Pearl was trying to find a way to poof it and Amethyst tried to keep it on the beach by whipping it every time it tried to run off. As for Steven, he's been acting as a shield for the others by using his bubble power. "You want to have a real fight?" Her amber eyes fumed with rage as she summoned her crash helmet again and started to spin herself up to the gem. "Why don't you fight me?" Flying upwards, she let out a war cry and smashed the helmet against Petrified Wood's head, resulting in a painful cry. You notice that she's holding her gem in pain and you gasp in worry. Did she somehow crack it after that dangerous move? "You can hurt the Crystal Gems, you can hurt me, but if you try to kill Y/n, I will shatter you!"  
  
Doing the same thing again, she's found its gem did the same attack again as everyone attacked too. Petrified Wood retreated back into the gem with a puff of white smoke and fell onto the ground. Pearl picked it up, bubbled it, then sent it to the Bubble Room. You run towards Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, and Steven and give them a hug with tears in your eyes, completely forgetting about Jasper. "Awhaha, I'm glad you worried about us, Y/n." Pearl chuckled, petting your head. Garnet smirked and hugged everyone back. "We wouldn't have defeated it without Jasper's help!" Widening your e/c eyes, you break out of the hug and notice her large body struggle to get up from being on the ground.

A soft groan broke the enthusiasm as Jasper used her arms to make her come upwards, but she only fall back onto the sand. "Jasper? Hey, get up..." She started having a glitch-like style to her, and she suddenly started shrieking in pain. "Jasper!" you exclaim, running to her side to aid her pained form. Jasper was coughing and holding her nose with trembling hands, her light reflected body losing shape, color, and structure. "What's wrong? Hey, m-move your hands..." Garnet came to your side and put a hand on your shoulder. "Her gem is cracked. She hit the monster too hard and her Gem became cracked in the process." Steven came to Jasper and sat himself in the sand. "I have healing powers! I can save her-" Jasper growled and used her last remaining strength to scramble away from the rest of you.  
  
"I know what you're doing, Rose Quartz. You'll just shatter me and take Y/n away from me! Well, _I won't let you take anything else I love away!_" Still keeping her right hand on her nose, tears swell in hers and your eyes as she uses her left arm to wrap itself around your body and squeezed it reassuringly. Amethyst speaks up. "But Jasper, you can trust us! Steven wouldn't do a thing to hurt you, honest. Healing powers will help you be with Y/n forever." She started glitching again and her arm detached itself from you. In fact, from that one glitch, she lost her arm entirely and cried out in pain. Pearl's eyes widened and she turned away from the sight. "I would much rather die than be tricked by someone I once fought..." Garnet put a hand on her broad shoulder and frowned. "What if we take you to Rose's healing fountain?" Closing one eye, she struggles to her feet.

You aid her by holding her up, but it was a hassle. "Fine..." The Crystal Gems lead the way back to the house and people overlook who the new gem was. You sigh and avoid eye contact, but as you do, Jasper loses her balance and falls to the ground again. She cried out in pain and you take a step back, not wanting to see her like this. Garnet and Amethyst takes over with carrying her, so you stand beside Pearl and Steven, looking for support. Taking her to the teleportation pad, she reaches her hand out to you in sorrow. You take it and risk removing her hand from her nose. Jasper lets you, and you gasp in disbelief in seeing that it was much worse than you could've realized. Her gem had a deep cut inside of it and was slowly crumbling by the minute with every tiny grain falling onto the pad.  
  
Everyone piled onto the pad and was teleported to the fountain where you could see a large square fountain with Rose Quartz statues crying to make the fountain stay full. Rose bushes surrounded the area with thorns attempting to keep the secluded place of sanctuary safe. Jasper felt nervous about doing this, but you reassured her by pressing your forehead against her glitching one and she nodded calmy. Struggling to her feet, Jasper trudged to the fountain and inspected every inch of it. "So, you really aren't Rose, are you... Steven?" He looked down. "No... She was my mom." Jasper saw her reflection in the fountain and sneered by wasting time guilt-tripping herself. "Look at me. I'm a failure. I destroyed the corruption gem and hurt myself in the process. I'm so... pathetic..." She drops to her knees and starts to cry, her glitching getting worse.

Only then did she start sobbing and cried out wishing she was shattered. "I mean," she looks down at her trembling hands in disbelief, then glitches and turns to the five of you, "Look at me! What kind of gem am I to crack in the middle of a fight? I'm so pointless..." Jasper continued to glitch and you sigh discerningly. "We are looking at you, Jasper. And do you know what I see?" you ask, walking towards her. "W-What?" "I see a strong," you intertwine your hands with hers, "confident," Jasper glitches and you stare into her amber eyes," beautiful Gem that means more to me than life itself. And I love that I can experience things with you, Jasper." Jasper's eyes welled with tears hearing you say this, and she looked down at your fingers and slightly chuckled. "Y/n-" Jasper retreated into her gem almost as quickly as she said your name, and you were left bewildered.

"...Jasper?"


	4. Depression

Holding her gem in your hands, you turn to the others and start to freak out. "What happened? Was she shattered? Is she okay? Jasper, h-hello?" Pearl consoled you by wrapping her skinny arms around your shoulders. "This whole time she was trying to stay strong for you in order not to worry. Eventually we must retreat to our gems to heal ourselves if the refraction of our forms turn too great." Frowning, you look down into the fountain water and see your reflection.

"What do you think she was going to say when I told her all those things? Is that why she retreated into her gem? Did Jasper leave because she knew what I was talking about? What if when she comes back out of her gem she doesn't want anything to do with me?" Amethyst slightly smiles. "But Y/n, you saw the way she protected you. I mean, did she pull away after you held her hand? No! Hah, it seems like she really cares about you." "But... she doesn't know what love is. Earth isn't something she's grown attached to yet." Garnet shrugged and replied, "She seems pretty attached to you. That's something." Looking down at the gem in your hands, you sigh and gulp. The cold rock had started to crumble even faster now, and in a moments time the gem may or may not break in half and not be able to reform her to her normal state.  
  
"Hm..." you grumble, then looked back to the fountain. The crying Rose Quartz statues had their eyes closed, but their aura made it seem like the welcomed you to heal a gem in this sacred place. "Here Jasper. It's time you finally be healed." Sitting on the edge of the fountain, you look down into the rippling and sparkling water and hold the gem in your hands as you dip it inside, then took it out. Almost immediately, the cracked gem healed itself and went back to normal. The orange gem had turned a dull orange without your knowledge, and when it healed, the orange was a bright, glistening gem. It felt heavier now too. After all, it had lost half of its interior casing.

Looking over at the others, you contemplate why Jasper wasn't coming out of her gem. "Why isn't she... doing anything?" Pearl took the gem from you and inspected the gem to see if it was fully healed. It was, but Pearl obviously wanted to know why Jasper wasn't reforming. "That's strange. It was only her gem that was cracked. Not her body... so she should be able to reform. Amethyst, Steven, Garnet? What should we tell Y/n?" Pearl was whispering now amongst her friends, and for a split second you felt like snatching the gem from their grasp. After all, Jasper was precious to you in a number of ways, so when you saw them poking the gem and most likely making her dizzy with the way they handled her, you narrow your e/c eyes and take the gem from their grasp. "Well, maybe she's just resting! Jasper will wake up soon so let's just get to the teleportation pad, okay? C'mon Steven."  
  
"Alright..." He replies, then starts walking to your side with a frown. He notices you stroking the gem longingly and he looks down at the ground. Everyone piles onto the teleportation pad and took one last look at the healing fountain that saved Jasper. "Thank you." You whisper, and suddenly you were back in their house in no time at all. "Will you be okay, Y/n?" Amethyst asks, looking up at you. Trying to smile, you reply, "She'll wake up eventually. For now I have to get home to let her get comfortable."

Pearl spoke up with a bright smile. You were happy about her enthusiasm, but none of it rubbed off on you. "I think this would be the perfect time to have some lemonade and I could explain how this whole gem thing works. After all, Y/n doesn't know a thing about our species." Garnet crossed her arms and tilted her head. "Are you suggesting Y/n is dumb? She's lived with Jasper for months now. She must have told her something about Gems retreating when they're injured." Shuffling awkwardly, you watch the rain hit against the windows. There was no thunder this time, but you enjoyed hearing the calming sound of rain pelting itself against the house by the beach. "Y/n," Steven starts, noticing you staring into space, "You can stay here until the rain clears up." You only nod and look down at Jasper's gem. "That's fine."

* * *

The rain made puddles that made your socks and shoes wet, but eventually, you made it back home. Looking up at your adorable one-bedroom home, you walk up the steps and hold Jasper in one hand while you rummage through your pockets to find your keys. You always had a problem when multitasking, but luckily, you eventually found the keys and opened the door just as you felt another raindrop on your head. The house was dark, so on impulse you flipped the light switch and closed the door.

"Home sweet home..." you mumbled to yourself. "Let's get cleaned up." you told the unresponsive gem. Though you had no idea if she can hear you or not, you still tried to make her feel safe and protected. Heading to the closet, you carefully place Jasper's gem onto a nearby table and rummage through the closet to find the softest blanket you had. You found one, a fluffy white one, then place it on the couch. When you came back for Jasper's gem, you felt disappointed knowing she hadn't reformed yet. Of course, knowing Jasper's size, you were somewhat glad she didn't reform on a table that can be easily broken. Picking it up again, you walk to the couch and place Jasper's gem onto the blankets. "Your gem was so cold that I thought it affects whether or not you get better. So I'm making you warm."  
  
Sighing, you hear rain against your roof and decide to take a warm bath, maybe even wash your hair, make dinner, then go to bed. "I should probably think about getting a job someday. Hm, maybe a librarian, a store clerk... Heh, maybe even get a job at the aquarium." Once again, you were stuck talking to yourself. Jasper was your only company when you spoke to her, yet you thought she rarely ever listened and just let you rant about things she didn't understand. Talking to yourself, you walk to your bedroom and get some pajamas, then took them into the bathroom with you. It was a bit nerve-wracking leaving Jasper alone where she would be able to reform at any second and miss the chance to tell her how happy you were that she was okay, but you had a slight feeling in your gut that Jasper wasn't reforming any time soon.

Turning on the faucet and letting the tub fill up, you undress and get your phone to listen to Chill music amongst the rain and sit in the tub to have a nice, relaxing soak. Once the tub filled itself, you feel your cold body be immediately warmed by the temperature of the water. Letting out a relaxed exhale, you listen to the music with your eyes closed. "Today has been a long day." you grumble. Opening your eyes, you remember how alone you feel without Jasper. True, you could pretend she's right outside that door, but due to the events of today, your brain would tell you that she wasn't around at the moment.  
  
After the bath, you get out and wrap a soft towel around your body and dried yourself off using said towel. Grabbing your phone, which was still playing music, you get rid of the music and put on your pajamas. Your stomach grumbled, and you suddenly remembered that you never had lunch, so you were hungry. Stepping out of the bathroom with slippers on, you risk a look towards the couch. Jasper was still inside her gem. Disappointed, you head towards the kitchen and get cereal. You didn't have it in you to make a proper dinner, so all you did was pour the cereal in a bowl, then poured milk, and grabbed a spoon.

Seating yourself at the table, you solemnly eat your food and stare at Jasper's gem that was on the couch nearby. In your mind, you believed she would reform soon. But in your heart, you felt she would never return to you. In just a few minutes, you finished the bowl of cereal and washed the bowl and spoon. Deciding to get ready for bed, you grab Jasper's gem and her blanket and head to your bedroom for much needed rest. Placing Jasper's gem against your pillow beside you, you remember when just earlier today she took all the room and made herself comfortable. Though you could not see her due to the darkness, you could still feel Jasper's strong presence, and somehow, made you sleep easier.

* * *

You awoke to the early morning sun shining in your eyes, so you blink and roll on your side away from the window. Jasper was still on the pillow, and for a split second you wondered why Jasper was inside her gem. And then it hit you. Jasper cracked her gem yesterday and retreated inside her gem, even when the healing fountain fixed her gem. And that was how you woke up every morning for a whole month. Disappointment in knowing Jasper never reformed when she could have at any time. You thought she was buying time, but you remembered going to Pearl once and she told you gems only reform when they believe their mind, body, and soul are all fixed.

There must be something wrong. After all, she should be well by now, but instead, Jasper thinks she's still injured. And so, you place Jasper's gem on the couch and talk to an unresponsive rock. "Jasper, I don't know if you can hear me, and I don't want to rush you, but could you _please_ reform already? It's been a whole month. And you've just been sitting on a blanket and not showing any sign of movement. I'm a pathetic and stupid human, I know now. I should've never tried to help in that battle. If I hadn't gone outside and be seen by the corrupted gem, you probably would've never gotten your gem cracked. We'd still be together, arguing as usual. But we can't even do that now, can we? I'm stuck talking to an inanimate object that can't even reply. Is there a reason why you don't want to reform?" The gem did nothing, so you get frustrated and stand to your feet.  
  
"Is it me? Is it the fact that a lowly human is worried about you? I can stop worrying and forget you even exist! Humans are a lot smarter than you think! In fact, why do I even care for you in the first place? From the moment you and I met we've done nothing but argue and yell at each other over the littlest things. And out of nowhere you decide to save me and act like you care? You really are terrible, you pathetic piece of rock!" Starting to cry, you leave the Gem be and slam your bedroom door and start to sob. Sobbing now, you look down at the ground, close your eyes, and shake your head. "I never wanted this to happen... I'm so sorry-"

Out of nowhere, you see light underneath your door and hear noise coming from the living room. Acting, you wipe the tears from your eyes and run into the living room to see Jasper create her body. Though she was white for a few seconds as the gem formed her body and rose in the air, Jasper reformed and kneeled as she hit the ground. She used her right fist to punch the floor and she fell onto it, and her beige colored hair covered her face, so you couldn't tell what her expression was at the moment. "J-Jasper? Are you okay?" You wipe a few more falling tears, but seeing her alive and well made them continue falling. When she rose her up, Jasper, the almighty Gem that seemed to calm and collected, had been crying. She came to a stand and clenched her teeth to keep her from sobbing and crying out.  
  
Jasper took a step towards you, whereas you took a step back. You didn't like this side of her. "Is what you said true? You think I'm a pathetic piece of rock? I've been trying my best to heal myself! How long has it been?" Getting angry now, you yell, "It's been a month! And I kept worrying that you didn't want me to worry about you because I'm just a human that doesn't know how a Gem feels! And I thought you wouldn't know how a human reacts to these things because you don't know how emotions work! For once, can you act like you're a real person instead of some alien?" Jasper's face softened and tears continued to fall from her eyes.

"I'm not a real person, Y/n. But you make me feel like one. I know about what you did for me when I was in my gem and I'm grateful for that. But," Jasper pins you against a wall and looks into your eyes, "We need to talk." You gulped as she sneered, and almost on queue, thunder and lighting made the whole room light up, and made Jasper look even more ominous.


	5. Acceptance

Straightening, you shuffle as she let's go of you to cross her arms. "There is nothing that we need to discuss. You've reformed and that's all that matters. I don't care about what you have to say because I know you and I will get into an argument over a little detail. All you ever do is act menacing and yell and pick fights." Jasper's expression turns offended and she widens her eyes. "You don't care? _You don't care? _I fought tooth and nail to protect you from a corrupted gem! If I hadn't saved you, you would be dead right now. So instead of arguing with me, you should thank me. Of course, an ungrateful human wouldn't know what thankfulness is! And apparently I'm right!"

Walking away, you sneer and avoid eye contact with the orange gem. "Jasper, we are done talking about this, okay? I'm glad you're okay, and now you're back. End of story." Jasper slithered her muscular arms around your waist and she pulled your back against her chest. "I know what you said to me while I was inside my gem. You hate me don't you... I'm a burden in the purest form." Spinning around to meet her eyes, she doesn't let go of you and looks down at the ground with tears in her beautiful amber eyes. "I lost so many things in my life, Y/n. I've lost Pink Diamond, my friends, even my dignity when knowing I let anger get the better of me..."  
  
Her long, beige hair covered her face a bit, but the tears were still visible. "I used to think I didn't need anyone to make me feel strong, but, look at me now. I'm crying... over a human! Why do I have to be so weak?" She continued rambling on about how she's not important, and you realized now that Jasper was self-deprecating herself. She told herself she was weak, unimportant, pointless, and so on. Kneeling, you caress Jasper's cheek as she continued to degrade herself. "There are thousands of me, Y/n. I'm not special... I just happen to be important to some because I emerged from the kindergarten unlike anyone else."

Frowning, you press your forehead against her own and whisper, "You are the most important thing in my life and I absolutely adore you for that." Jasper punches the wall in anger, just as she did on a rainy day like this one. The poor gem realized it too and widened her eyes as she unclenched her fist. Jasper looks down at the ground and wipes away her tears. "Stop! Just stop lying! There are thousands of me right now on Homeworld! Jasper's that never get to experience _this_! They don't have to worry about relationships and fights and friendships. The only thing we know is fighting and missions and duties given to us by the Diamonds. We're nothing but pawns, Y/n. They just... use us for their own selfish bidding." She vented to you and eventually fell into your arms. She shook relentlessly, so you rubbed her back to make her feel better.

"Oh, Jasper... That's horrible. I don't even know what to say. Do you want to talk about it more?" Jasper sighed and let go of you to rub her eyes. "We're made already knowing who our leader is, what our status is, what weapon we have... We're... developed to be an intelligent fighting machine. Every move we make, we emotion we feel, every thought... it's all given to us for one reason only. To be a perfect gem. And if we're imperfect... those who are imperfect are shattered."   
  
Your heart sunk as she told you this. Hundreds and thousands of gems had to be made to perfectly suit the Diamonds standards, and if they weren't, they would be shattered before even getting to live a full life. "I see... I'm so sorry, Jasper. I was just worried that you might never come back to me. I had been wanting to see you without even thinking about your health. This is all my fault." Rain continued to fall, the two of you silent now. Jasper ran a hand through her long beige hair and sighed while shaking her head solemnly. She chuckles and closes her beautiful amber eyes. "Look at me. No wonder you said I'm pathetic." She fell into your arms again and you struggle to hold her up. She cries into your shoulders as you pat her back.  
  
You felt sorry for Jasper. In her mind while fighting, she's an unstoppable machine. But in your hands, you knew she would be putty, so you wrap your arms around her shoulders. "What is... this?" she sobs out, surprise drowning out her tears. "Humans show reconcile and sadness, also apologizes in the form of a hug." you reply. The two of you stayed in complete silence, aside from the rain hitting the roof and occasional thunder noises from far away and sat there together for quite awhile. Jasper contemplated it at first, but she got the courage to hug you back. Your body tensed when you felt her large hands wrap themselves around your waist and brings you closer.

Jasper buried her face into your shoulder and neck, and the tears soaked through. "Y/n," she raises her head up, as do you, but you continue keeping your arms around her shoulders as she keeps her arms on your waist. "Yes? What is it?" Jasper gulped and grasped your hands. You missed her arms around your waist, but oh well. "I wish it could... fuse with you. But everyone I fuse with never wants to stay. But I know you would!" Chuckling, you realize the argument between the two of you ended almost as quickly as it started. "Of course I would stay with you. But sadly, I'm not a gem." Jasper's tears stopped falling, and instead, she pinned you to the floor with a loving look on her face.

"Who said you need a gem to fall in love?" Wasting no time at all, Jasper kisses you on the mouth, surprising you at first, but you quickly ease into it and let her do as she pleased. The thunder and lighting stopped, so only rained pelted against the roof. Your heart was beat furiously knowing that Jasper was acting this way with you, and that made her seem to understand that you didn't mind what she was doing. You had done it. Jasper had been redeemed.

* * *

A few weeks past, and instead of sleeping on the couch, Jasper is always in your bed. And to share room, Jasper came up with a plan to always cuddle you to keep from falling off. She started eating more human food now, bacon especially, but still gagged when seeing a cake or a pizza. It was never appetizing to her. The Crystal Gems know you're a couple now, and knowing she isn't an enemy anymore made them more than happy. Of course, Pearl did have to explain that human ages and Gem ages are very different, and that in a matter of years you would die and Jasper would be alone. Instead of getting angry, Jasper grasped your hand and replied, "I guess we'll have to make every little thing count."

You had also gotten a job at the local bookstore which Jasper visits almost everyday to know what you do there, and you suggested she gets a job to be around you all the time. Jasper accepts and now you work the cash register and she does stock, occasionally bumping into each other when someone tries to find a book to buy and exchange loving glances before doing work again. And this was how it has been, and now, Jasper was going to be made into a Crystal Gem.  
~~~  
  
Sunlight filtered through your curtains as you groggily opened your eyes and came face to face with the gem that stole your heart, Jasper. Later today, Jasper would become a Crystal Gem. As for now, you and her enjoyed the early morning sunshine while pressed against one another in the bed and intertwined your fingers together. "Do you think I have to quit my job at the bookstore?" Jasper solemnly asks, staring deeply into your eyes. You shrug and nod in reply. "You might have to. Saving the world and getting a minimum wage at the same time would be pretty stressful for you. Plus, we've rarely ever get to see each other. You just leave saving the Earth to you, okay?"

Jasper kisses your forehead and sits up, then gets out of bed with a tired groan. "I'm going to take a... wait what was the word? It starts with a b..." Chuckling you fall back onto the pillow. "You mean bath?" Jasper nods and stretches. "Yeah, that. I'll see you soon." She kisses your cheek and leaves the bedroom and heads to the bathroom. Groaning, you hear the water turn on so you get up to make you and her breakfast. Stretching, you yawn while doing so and opened the bedroom door. Walking into the kitchen, you get out the bacon and eggs for breakfast while in your pajamas. Since Jasper only ever ate the bacon, you gave her four pieces whereas you only wanted eggs. You let the bacon cook in one pan and the eggs in another with the music from your phone creating noise in the quiet house. The bathroom door opened and immediately a gust of steam came out of the bathroom as Jasper used a towel to dry her hair. Her body was steaming as well and she flexed with a content sigh.  
  
"Another one of your lava baths?" you play while looking to her. Kissing you on the mouth, she goes into the fridge and gets out the milk. "What can I say? Hot water feels nice on the body. And plus, it helps get rid of any kinks or painful places on our body." Throwing the towel over her shoulder, Jasper then pours the milk into some glasses. The steam on her body started to subside as she slightly started dancing to your phone's music.

Putting the milk back into the fridge, she takes the glasses to the table and puts the towel into a laundry basket to clean later. "Breakfast is ready!" Putting her bacon and your eggs on two separate plates, you put them on the table and sigh contently. "Y/n~" Jasper sings, a smirk on her face. "Yes, my Tigress?" you reply with a blush on your cheeks. She rests her head on a fist that kept itself up with her elbow on the table. "Did I ever tell you how good your food is?" Cutting your eggs, you nod as you take a bite. "Yep, you tell me all the time." "Heh, because it's true." She eats a piece of bacon, and soon enough, there are none on her plate.

* * *

"Jasper, we are proud to announce that you are officially a Crystal Gem as of today!" Pearl exclaimed, giving Jasper her new title. "Congrats, Jasper!" Steven exclaims. The six of you were on the beach for this occasion. Jasper nods and smiles proudly. "I'll try my best to protect my home, Pearl." Pearl shuffles awkwardly and looks at her outfit. Her light blue eyes inspects the outfit Jasper has on. "Um, Jasper..." Garnet notices it too, as does Amethyst and Steven. You and Jasper were at a loss as to what they wanted. "What?" Amethyst points to her outfit and tells her. "You'll need to change your outfit. You have the Yellow Diamond symbol on it, Sis. Just choose another form or something."

Jasper nods tells everyone to wait as she walks back into the house to change her form. You speak up. "Garnet, how does a gem change their form?" Before Garnet could reply, Pearl answers for you. "It's not very difficult. We merely just- Oh my..." Since everyone faced the house at the moment, you didn't see Jasper behind you. Garnet had an approving smile on her face, Amethyst had a smile, Steven was starry-eyed, and Pearl was blushing. A jealous look spread across your face, but as you turned, you blushed too. There stood [Jasper](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/65/4d/51/654d512d2408788e159e0855860f6741--steven-universe-jasper-steven-univese.jpg) wearing a burgundy colored dress with a red part near her chest. A sparkling fake gem held up the dress near her neck, but where her chest was. "I hope this makes for proper combat attire."  
  
Garnet does a thumbs up and Steven nods. "Yeah! That'll work great!" Jasper flexed and chuckled, then out of nowhere picked you up and took you to the ocean. The two of you had your ups and downs, but knowing that the two of you could spend the rest of your lives together, both you and Jasper were happy. And once again, found someone to love and care for.


End file.
